House Republicans Call for Comprehensive Audit of Pandemic-Related Unemployment Insurance Fraud

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times

Thirty House members, all Republicans, asked the Labor Department acting inspector general to do an “official audit” of unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is past time we learned how much of American taxpayers’ dollars have actually been given to fraudulent claims,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter (pdf) to Acting Inspector General Larry Turner on July 8. “We therefore urge that United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General conduct an official audit to determine to what extent did fraud occur in COVID-related unemployment assistance programs.”

Reps. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), and 25 other House Republicans coauthored the letter.

The Republicans said that fraudulent activities are still running rampant across the country in unemployment insurance programs, citing a report from Turner’s office and a media report.

In the report (pdf) issued on May 28, the Labor Department Office of Inspector General said that the department and states were struggling to implement three pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs including the $600 supplemental unemployment payment. As a result, unemployed individuals can’t get timely payments.

Meanwhile, states also have a hard time detecting improper payments and recovering overpayments.

Twenty states didn’t perform certain required improper payment detection measures and 19 states didn’t perform required overpayment recovery activities, the report stated.

Around $5.4 billion in unemployment insurance benefits was likely paid to potentially fraudulent individuals between March 2020 and October 2020, the Labor Department said in an alert memorandum (pdf) back in February 2021.

Blake Hall, CEO of ID.me, told Axios that about $400 billion, as much as 50 percent of all unemployment payments, might have been stolen.

The Epoch Times reached out to Turner’s office for comments.

Many unemployment insurance fraud cases have been charged by U.S. attorneys during the pandemic, according to information released by the Justice Department (DOJ).

Antwine Demon Hunter, 24, from Las Vegas pleaded guilty to filing two dozen fraudulent unemployment insurance claims for over $250,000 on Wednesday.

Several days earlier, a male from Massachusetts, 68-year-old Alan Neal Scott, pleaded guilty in a case connected to pandemic-related unemployment insurance fraud.

Scott “submitted these [fraudulent] claims using his own identity as well as the identities of various individuals, including some who were not eligible for unemployment benefits as they were incarcerated at the time and could not have been employed as reported,” the DOJ said in a press release.

The DOJ lists unemployment insurance fraud as one of the four major scams related to COVID-19 on their website.

BY ALLEN ZHONG

Read Original Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

President Trump is Being Wrongfully Obstructed on Tariffs

Podcaster Zach De Gregorio, in “Wolves And Finance,” delivers a sharp editorial unpacking the truth behind Trump’s international tariff policies.

Trump And Kennedy Are Placing Patients First

Trump admin set rules requiring hospitals and insurers to give patients clear price info, aiming to boost transparency and put patients first.

Figures flip the field

Sports programs with strong donor bases and NIL collectives are flipping recruits and transfers at rapid speed, like traders on Wall Street.

Roger Stone Says Treason Indictments Are Coming

Biden, Brennan, Comey, Rice, Rosenstein, Mueller, Weissman, McCabe, Samantha Powers and others I think are looking at serious criminal indictments.”

‘He Didn’t Care That I Was a Malcom X Scholar’

The rise of delusional social justice ideology is the result of impressionable youth being influenced by overpaid professors and administrators.

US Lawmaker Impersonated in Cyber Campaign, Suspects Chinese Hackers

‘This is another example of China’s offensive cyber operations designed to steal American strategy and leverage it against Congress,’ Rep. John Moolenaar says.

Appeals Court Upholds $83 Million Ruling Against Trump

A federal appeals court upheld a jury ruling ordering Trump to pay columnist E. Jean Carroll $83.3M in damages for defaming her.

Video Shows Fatal Stabbing of Ukraine War Refugee: What to Know

Video shows moments before Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was killed on a Charlotte light rail, raising new concerns over crime and public safety.

Why Billions in AI Investment Can Be a Pitfall for Some Companies

AI gold rush hits U.S. firms, but despite billions invested, many struggle to see real returns from the fast-emerging technology.

Trump Runs out of Patience With China, Sharpens His Words

President Donald Trump’s recent remarks targeting China and its allies mark a noticeable shift in tone.

Trump Signs Order Renaming Department of Defense as Department of War

President Donald Trump on Sept. 5 signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War.

Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Countries That Unlawfully Detain Americans

President Trump signed an EO on targeting the unlawful detention of American citizens around the world and to facilitate the release of hostages.

Trump Sends Warning to Venezuela After US Military Strikes Boat Allegedly Carrying Drugs

President Trump sent a warning to Venezuela after the U.S. military struck what the administration says was a boat carrying drugs in the Caribbean.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central